CBX 2 offers average golfers a more forgiving option

When most golf manufacturers design a wedge, the process starts with the needs of the best players in the world and development usually includes input from touring professionals.

And to be fair, the results of those efforts are a number of exceptional wedges that are available to golfers today.

But does the creation of wedges using that process deliver products that are perfect for everyone?

Cleveland believes the answer is a resounding no.

Sure, Cleveland took the path outlined above to develop RTX 4, which is one of the most popular wedges in professional golf and with recreational players.

But the California-based company believes that many golfers would benefit from a more forgiving wedge that aligns better from a playability standpoint with the irons they play.

That mindset led to the development of the original CBX wedge in 2017, and Cleveland is now back with the new CBX 2.

The concept is to provide those who play a cavity-back or game-improvement iron, which is over 80 percent of golfers, with wedges that transition seamlessly but still offer the face and spin technologies that can be found in what would qualify as “tour” wedges.

And with wedge play and short game being crucial to scoring and accounting for so many shots during a round, why would any player in need of forgiveness want to sacrifice it in this area?

“The short game is critical to playing your best golf, and playing wedges designed for your game and the shots you like to hit is key,” said Brian Schielke, Cleveland’s Marketing Director. “That’s why CBX 2 wedges were created. They make the short game easier and more forgiving for the majority of golfers out there playing game-improvement equipment.”

There have been several improvements made to the new CBX 2 from the original CBX, but the most notable might be what engineers have done as it relates to the sole.

While each CBX wedge was offered with the same mid-bounce, V-shaped sole, the CBX 2 lineup is offering three different soles based on loft to enhance performance and promote versatility.

The V-Shaped sole grind is again being offered offered in lofts of 46 to 52 degrees. It’s an outstanding option for full shots and shots played around the green with a square clubface, as the V shape provides exceptional turf interaction.

Meanwhile, an S-Shaped sole grind is now offered in the 54- and 56-degree CBX 2 models. It provides a wider sole and higher bounce, making it incredibly forgiving through the turf around the green, as well as a great option from greenside bunkers and thicker rough.

And finally, a C-Shaped grind has been implemented in the 58- and 60-degree lofts. This grind provides additional heel relief, making it easier for players to open the face and hit flop shots or play shots from tight lies and firmer sand around the green.

Also new with CBX 2 is what Cleveland is calling a Hollow-Cavity Design, which features a hollow chamber near the heel and additional weight moved to the toe region of the club, The result is dramatically increased MOI, which equates to improved impact stability and better results on off-center strikes.

Additionally, a new Gelback TPU insert has been implemented to reduce impact vibrations. It works in conjunction with Cleveland’s Feel Balancing Technology, which aligns the CG position more directly with the center of the clubface, to improve sound and feel.

And finally, Cleveland’s fourth generation Rotex Face Technology features aggressive face milling and the company’s sharpest grooves to deliver optimal spin on full shots and maximum spin and control on shots played around the green.

Add it all up and Cleveland believes that CBX 2 can provide a vast majority of golfers with the tools they need to trim more shots off their scores.

“It’s remarkable seeing the performance improvements when golfers switch to the extra forgiveness, better sole designs, and overall weighting that blends perfectly with their cavity back irons,” Schielke said.

Of course, what golfers are most interested in is how CBX 2 performs, and I had the chance to test these new wedges in lofts of 52, 56, and 60 degrees over the course of the last few weeks.

I came away impressed on several fronts.

Most notable, however, was just how much spin I could generate in playing shots around the green, whether I was playing a bunker shot, a shot from deep greenside rough, or shots from tight fairway lies with a square or open face.

I also believe that the additional sole designs will prove valuable for golfers, especially the new C-Shaped grind that has been adopted for the lob wedges. I had some concerns given the width of that sole as to whether or not I could open the face and hit flop shots or control trajectory on pitch shots but I had no issues doing either.

The S-Shaped grind was also a standout from greenside bunkers, as the wider sole glided through the sand effortlessly. It also performed nicely out of thicker lies thanks to its ample bounce.

In terms of feel, the CBX 2 wedges surprised me. I was expecting a harder feel off of the face but whether it was the new TPU insert or the positioning of the CG, there was very little difference in terms of feel when compared to the RTX 4 wedges that I play now.

It’s also worth mentioning that while the CBX 2 wedges were created to deliver forgiveness, their appearance in the playing position is quite clean, especially in terms of the topline and limited offset.

The overall profile is definitely a bit larger than RTX 4, but the shaping is classic Cleveland and easy on the eyes.

In summary, Cleveland has developed yet another excellent wedge option for golfers in the way of the CBX 2. As a lower-handicap player, I have no doubt that I could put these wedges in play and they would offer the performance and versatility that I desire in that aspect of my game.

And there’s no doubt in my mind that mid- and higher-handicappers could benefit from these designs to improve their play from 125 yards and in.